A rolling roof is being rolled out of the collective mindset of the Kansas City Chiefs…at least for now. In a Thursday press release, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt indicated that they will stop pushing for a rolling roof, which failed to gain funding in an April ballot initiative and didn’t get added to the August ballot. In doing so, Hunt also withdrew Kansas City from consideration for the Super Bowl in 2015, which would be awarded if the roof was built.
“The rolling roof has always been about Kansas City, its economic development and the opportunity to bring major events to the community. To make these developments a reality, the Chiefs have continued to be willing to make a significant financial contribution to the construction of a roof at the Truman Sports Complex,” Hunt said. “However, at this time we have concluded that it is appropriate to proceed on the Arrowhead renovations without the added ingredient of a weather-protecting roof.”
While they won’t push for the roof publicly, he still holds out hope that someday it will become a reality and he’s planning for that day.
“Nevertheless, in order to leave the door open for the future, the renovations of Arrowhead will be designed to accommodate a roof so that the future leaders of the community can, at their election, seize the opportunity to put Kansas City on the national map as a destination for all manner of major events,” Hunt said.
While the rolling roof initiative failed, a tax on the April ballot which will raise money for Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums, passed.
